A Message from Our Pastor, Fr. Dominic Barber

In the second letter of Peter to the early Christian communities, there is powerful imagery describing the nature of the Church. “Come to Him, a living stone though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2.4-5).

A living stone: have you ever thought of yourself like that? It appears to be a contradiction of terms – something inanimate yet alive. That is the beauty of our faith. It enables us to see ourselves and the world through God’s eyes and that always leads to new insights; a deeper realization of His glorious divine life evidenced in all His creation. Baptized into Jesus and fed by Jesus the Living Stone, we take on a life that mirrors His, a life that becomes a total gift, a life lived in communion with his Father, with humanity, with all of creation.

When we, who are Christian living stones, come together, our lives take on a solidity of meaning, purpose, form… of beauty. With Christ as the cornerstone, we form a community that is fully alive and engaged in the work of God, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Peter 2.9a). This spiritual house grows as its living stones live out their priestly calling of offering more and more of themselves, becoming a gift for all those around them.

My dear parishioner, don’t stop growing as a living stone. Let us encourage and support each other in this holy endeavour. Let us constantly find ways to offer ourselves. Inside this book, you will discover a myriad of ways in which we are striving to live out our call to become faithful servants walking God’s talk. Take some time to read through it and ask yourself, “Is there something that I am called to join, to fit into, to become part of this wonderful spiritual edifice that gives glory and honour to God?”

It is my hope and my prayer that you experience a warm welcome in whatever rooms you explore in this spiritual house. By the way, you may even want to explore the physical beauty of this parish, particularly its stained glass windows. Ask at the office about our stained glass window booklet containing reflections about people in the Bible who became living stones as they responded to God’s call in their lives.

Together let us share with the world “the mighty acts of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2.9b).